


Warm Coffee and a Kind Smile

by F1_rabbit



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 10:49:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12274863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: Kevin wanders into his local coffee shop to see a cute new barista, it's just a pity that they're not soulmates.





	Warm Coffee and a Kind Smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hopefulstranger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopefulstranger/gifts).



Kevin stood back and admired his masterpiece. Over a thousand flowers had gone into the sculpture, and he’d spent all night working on it so that it could be delivered first thing to the bonding ceremony that it was destined for.

He often wondered when he would meet his soulmate, although as he had got older, he realised that a lot of people just used the word soulmate to describe their partner, or partners, and no-one outside the relationship would ever know if they were really soulmates or not.

For some people it was obvious, tattoos marking their skin with the name of their destiny, but for others it was more subtle, cryptic marks that gave them hints, or an endless search for someone with the same mark.

Kevin yawned, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he knew that he’d need coffee, and lots of it, if he was to make it through the rest of the day.

He had considered asking someone to cover the shop for him, just for today, but he wasn’t sure who to ask that knew flowers as well as he did. Plus the sign outside did say ‘Kevin’s flowers’ and customers loved the idea that they were being taken care of by the owner, it made them feel special.

Stumbling across the street, he was grateful that a coffee shop had moved in there a few years back, not that he wasn’t capable of making his own coffee, but it got lonely in the shop, and a kind smile wasn’t something he could buy.

He yawned all the way to the counter, his eyes watering as he thought better of rubbing them with his dirty hands.

“The usual, please.”

“Erm? The usual?”

Kevin couldn’t place the voice, which was strange, he knew everyone here and everyone knew him.

“I’m new here. Just started today.”

“Cool, I’m Kevin.” He managed to get his eyes to stop watering for a minute, and he saw the most handsome guy standing in front of him, with soulful blue eyes and a warm smile.

“Stoffel.”

“Nice to meet you.” Kevin went to put his hand out, but there were still traces of dirt from the flowers, and he put it in his pocket.

“So what can I get for you?”

“Quadruple shot caramel latte.” Kevin grinned, waiting for the shocked response.

“Wow, that’s your usual?” Stoffel raised an eyebrow and Kevin laughed. “What do you drink when you need a caffeine fix?”

“I always need a caffeine fix, that’s why it’s my usual.”

Stoffel scurried into action, and Kevin watched with fascination, Stoffel’s hands deftly moving as he poured the hellish concoction into a large mug, drawing a smiley face with the syrup as he drizzled it in.

“Impressive.”

“Thank you.” Stoffel smiled, and Kevin was glad that he’d decided to work today.

He sat so that he could watch Stoffel work, normally he got his coffee to-go and drank it back at the shop, but today he felt like being around people.

As the morning rush ebbed away, Stoffel started clearing the tables, ready for the next rush.

“Let me guess, you’re a police officer? No, firefighter? Just pulled an all-nighter and this is your break before covering someone’s day shift.”

Kevin laughed, he wasn’t sure tattoos and a long blond quiff with shaved sides really screamed law enforcement.

“No, I’m a florist.” Kevin stuck his tongue out, before realising that it was probably fuzzy from the coffee.

“I’d have had to guess for quite a while to get that.” Stoffel grinned, his hands fidgeting with the cloth in his hands.

“I own the shop across the road.” Kevin pointed out the window, although he was the only florist on the entire street. “If you ever need flowers for a special someone, you know where I am.”

Kevin plucked out a business card, and Stoffel nodded.

“Thanks for the coffee, I’ll see you about.”

“Anytime.” Stoffel waved goodbye, and Kevin spent the rest of the day smiling.

Having a new cute barista across the street was going to be a lot of fun.

***

Kevin had learned Stoffel’s shift pattern, he was there most mornings, except Thursday, when he had an early lecture. He’d also found out that they were a similar age, that he was studying mechanical engineering, and he was from a little town in Belgium. He missed his parents, but he liked studying in Copenhagen.

But the one thing he didn’t know, was the one thing that he really wanted to find out.

Did Stoffel have a soul mark?

Had he found his soulmate yet?

Kevin knew that the marks could appear at any time, although for most people they appeared during, or just after, puberty.

He himself hadn’t got his mark yet, although him mum had often chided him about getting tattoos before he had got his soul mark. The nagging question, what if the mark was under his own tattoos haunted him a little, but he’d been young and impetuous.

Like many of his generation, they didn’t see soulmates the way that their parents did. It felt like a burden rather than a gift, being told by some invisible cosmic force who was right for you.

Although with the rise of online matching apps, was that really any different to soulmates?

Kevin winced as he downed the last of his coffee, long since cold, and he smiled to himself when he glanced across at the coffee shop.

Stoffel was taking in the chairs and tables from outside as the sun sank down below the horizon. There was a chill in the air, but he didn’t bother with a coat, scurrying over the road as rain started to drizzle down, the grey clouds an ominous warning that this was just the start.

“The usual?” Stoffel’s smile made his heart race, and he set to work before Kevin could say yes.

He’d often thought about ordering something else, just to shock Stoffel, but he liked the fact that he remember his usual, and it always brought a smile to his face.

Kevin patted his jeans pocket, but he’d taken his wallet out while he was sitting behind the desk sorting invoices.

“I’m going to have to run back and grab my wallet.” He turned to leave, but then there was a flash of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder rumbling in the distance. The rain looked like tiny wet bullets streaking down from the sky, rattling the windows as rivers ran down the road.

“I’ll get it for you, I was just about to take my break.” Stoffel made himself a coffee, milk, two sugars, nothing fancy, practical just like him.

“Thank you.”

Kevin followed Stoffel to the table, there were a couple of other customers leisurely drinking their coffee, no doubt waiting for the rain to subside so they stood some chance of getting home before they were soaked to the bone.

They sat in silence for a minute, sipping at their coffees, the sound of the rain making it feel cosier knowing they were warm and dry.

“So, there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Stoffel had a faint blush on his cheeks, and Kevin’s heart pounded.

Was he going to ask about soulmates?

“How did you end up owning a flower shop?” Stoffel looked down at his hands, and Kevin let out a little snort of laughter, breaking the tension that he felt.

“I know, I don’t look the type to be a florist.”

Stoffel held his hands up as though he was surrendering, his cheeks reddening as he bit on his lip.

“I studied art at uni, and for a final piece I did a wire sculpture covered in flowers.”

“Wow.” Stoffel leant back in his chair, relaxing as Kevin talked.

“People loved it, and there was a big demand for them, but the flowers were so expensive to buy from shops. So I ended up growing a lot of the plants myself, but it was hard to plan in advance, and asking for six months’ notice for new sculptures wasn’t practical, and that’s how I ended up with a flower shop just so that I could do the work that I wanted to do.”

“Could I come by and see one of your sculptures?”

“Sure, I’ll let you know when I’m working on the next one.”

The bell for the door rang, and a soaked figured rushed in, water dripping from them as they tried to dry their glasses, but there wasn’t a dry scrap of clothing on them.

“I should get back to work.”

Kevin waited for the rain to ease off before heading back across to the shop, smile on his face when he saw that his phone had a message.

Stoffel:   It was nice chatting to you today :)

Stoffel:   Want to hang out again sometime?

Stoffel:   My friend’s band are playing this Saturday?

Kevin:    I’d love to, let me know where and when :)

***

Spending more time with Stoffel had been nice, and he considered him a friend now, as well as a coffee-providing angel.

But the subject of soulmates had never come up.

He didn’t want to be that person, the one who was always talking about soulmates as though they had nothing else worth living for in their life. But he was curious, both about the soul mark, and why Stoffel didn’t want to talk about it.

His phone buzzed, and he smiled to himself at the thought it might be Stoffel, but it faded when he saw it was his mum. She never phoned unless it was something big.

“Hi, mum.”

“Hi, sweetie. I’m just checking that you’re still coming to your great-granddad’s ninetieth birthday next weekend.”

Kevin breathed a sigh of relief, nodding even though she couldn’t see him.

“Of course, I’ve even got a friend to look after the shop for a few days so I can spend some time at home.”

“That will be lovely, it’s been a while since we’ve seen you.”

“I’ve been busy with the shop.”

“I was starting to think that you’d found your soulmate and you just didn’t want to tell me.”

“No, still no soulmate. You know you would be the first person I called if I found them.”

“It would make your great-granddad so happy if you could bring a special someone to this party.”

“You know soulmates don’t work like that, I’ll find them when I find them.”

“I know sweetie, but it would make him happy.”

Kevin read between the lines, picking up on what his mum was saying without actually saying it.

Would he lie about finding his soulmate to make his great-granddad happy?

***

Kevin handed the keys over to Jo, he was the more responsible of the two, not that he didn’t trust Marcus, but he was forgetful at the best of times.

“If anyone comes in asking for a sculpture, book them an appointment for Tuesday and I’ll deal with it all then.”

“It’ll all be fine, go and enjoy your weekend at home.” Jo started to push Kevin out of the door, Marcus laughing as he waved goodbye.

Stoffel was waiting for him outside the shop, and Kevin had a sinking feeling. He’d asked him to come as a friend, thinking that it would be best to ask him about pretending to be soulmates once they were in the car, but now, he was sure that it would all backfire on him.

They got to the outskirts of Roskilde in good time, and Kevin pulled over in a lay-by so that could talk to Stoffel.

“I have a favour to ask.” Kevin felt his cheeks burn, his heart pounding as his mouth went dry.

“Sure, anything.”

“You don’t even know what the favour is yet.” Kevin smiled, wondering if Stoffel would be so calm if he knew what the favour was. “My great-granddad wants to see all his great-grandkids happy, and all my cousins have found their soulmates, everyone except me.”

“You can be happy without your soulmate.”

“I know that, I’m actually very happy with my life right now, but I kind of promised my mum I would show up this weekend with my ‘soulmate’ and I was kind of wondering if you’d pretend to be my soulmate for a few days.”

The lines on Stoffel’s forehead were gathering speed, and he glanced around the car as though he was expecting it to be a joke of some sort.

“We don’t even have to hold hands or anything, just telling them that we’re soulmates will be enough.”

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” Kevin rushed in for a hug, a big grin on his face as the nerves melted away.

_If only finding my real soulmate was as easy as this._

*

Kevin’s mum had made Stoffel feel welcome, insisting that he call her Britt, and she looked thrilled to see them together, even though she knew that they weren’t really soulmates.

As more of his family arrived for the party, there were more questions about how they met, and they were easy to answer.

But Kevin hadn’t realised just how much people wanted to know about soulmates.

He’d reached out for Stoffel’s hand, not because he wanted to convince people that they were really meant to be together, but because he needed the comfort. He wished that he’d thought about it all while they were still in the car, when they could have got their stories straight.

“So… where are your soulmarks?”

Kevin glared at his uncle, hoping the frustration didn’t show, before glancing at Stoffel and wishing that they could communicate telepathically.

Stoffel’s cheeks were bright red, and Kevin was sure that the jig was up, but then Stoffel spoke. “It’s somewhere embarrassing.”

Kevin nodded, hoping the grin on his face was enough to convince everyone, but his uncle wasn’t going to leave it alone.

“You can tell us, we’re all family here.”

“Anders, leave the boys alone.” Britt came marching over with cake, and Kevin gave her a little smile, glad that they had averted disaster, for now.

Stoffel spent a lot of the evening blushing as he awkwardly told people that his soulmark wasn’t somewhere that he could show people in public. But it was worth it to see his great-granddad happy.

By the end of the night Kevin could see that Stoffel was exhausted, and he knew that the worst was still to come.

“I hope you’re okay sharing a bed with me. I promise I don’t snore.”

Stoffel laughed as he sat down on the bed, slinking out of his clothes as he made himself comfy. He left on his boxers, and Kevin found himself staring, mesmerised by the way his muscles rippled as he breathed.

Kevin rushed to get undressed, sliding into bed next to Stoffel as his eyes flicked down to his tattoos.

“So none of these are your soul mark?” Stoffel whispered, his hand hovering over the angel on his chest, spanning both his shoulders.

“No, I don’t have a soul mark, unless it’s appeared underneath one of these since I got them done.” Kevin ran his fingers over his own tattoos, wondering if he’d be able to tell if there was another one lurking underneath. “Where is yours? Really?”

“I wasn’t lying about that, it’s somewhere that’s so embarrassing.”

Kevin grinned, they were good friends, but were they close enough that he could ask?

“Are you going to make me beg?” Kevin shot him his cheekiest grin, hoping he could play it off as a joke if Stoffel was uncomfortable.

Stoffel fidgeted, and Kevin was worried that he’d crossed a line, but then Stoffel drew the duvet back, his fingers hooked over the edge of his boxers.

“Wow, you weren’t joking about embarrassing.”

“Still want to see?”

Kevin nodded, licking his lips as Stoffel shuffled his boxers down, revealing his half-hard cock. Thick brown hairs were surrounding it, and he pushed them back to reveal a tattoo around the base of his cock. It was a ring about a centimetre thick, and it looked like an ornate floral pattern.

Stoffel’s cock was standing to attention now, making the design clearer to see, it was definitely flowers.

“I thought you might have the same one, because of your work with flowers.”

Kevin reached out to touch it, Stoffel gasping under his touch, but not telling him to stop. He marvelled at the detail, it was far more intricate than any of his tattoos, and he moved down so he could see it close up, Stoffel’s balls twitching as his warm breath ghosted over them.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this awkward.”

Kevin blushed, Stoffel was rock hard just from his touch and he wanted nothing more than to hear him gasp and moan in pleasure.

“I know we’re not soulmates but do you want to…?” Kevin let his hand rest on Stoffel’s thigh, waiting for him to speak.

Stoffel’s lips crashed against his, catching him off guard as he gasped for air, Stoffel eating up all his soft breathless moans. Their legs were tangled together, Stoffel’s hard cock leaking as he arched his back, grinding against his thigh as Kevin felt restricted by his boxers, and he rushed to take them off, struggling to do it without breaking the kiss.

He nibbled at Stoffel’s earlobe just to hear him gasp, and he slowed the pace, neither of them wanting the fun to be over before it had even got started.

“More.”

“More?”

“I have lube and condoms and I want you inside me kind of more.” Kevin leant back so that he could see the grin on Stoffel’s face, and he kissed the end of his nose before slinking out of bed to retrieve supplies.

The kisses were slower, more gentle as Stoffel let his hands roam, his fingers trailing between Kevin’s cheeks as he tried not to make too much noise.

“This kind of more?” Stoffel’s finger circled his hole, applying just enough pressure to have his cock leaking as he begged for more.

Kevin rolled on to his front, arching his back so that Stoffel couldn’t miss what he was asking for, and Stoffel moved to straddle his hips, trailing little kisses down his back with such tenderness that Kevin felt he would come before he was even inside him.

The kisses got sloppier as he worked his way down, his tongue licking a stripe across his hole as Kevin bit down on the pillow to stop himself crying out in pleasure.

He sat back on his knees, exposing himself to Stoffel as he waited for the feeling of his tongue, or his fingers, or even his cock pushing in and taking him roughly.

But none of that happened.

Stoffel was prising his cheeks open as wide as they could go, and he was clearing the hair out of the way from around his asshole.

It might have got some other people aroused, but it wasn’t his idea of sexy.

“You don’t have to do a lot to get me ready, just the lube on the condom should be enough.”

But Stoffel was still poking around, and Kevin could feel his erection waning.

“We don’t have to do this, I could blow you, or we could just kiss.”

“You never told me you had a tattoo around your asshole.”

“What?”

Kevin peered over his shoulder as he tried to see it, and failed, but then it dawned on him why Stoffel had spent so long staring at it.

“Does it look like your soul mark?”

Kevin’s heart pounded as he waited for an answer, his knuckles white as he clung on to the pillow.

“Yes.”

“We’re soulmates?” Kevin felt his cock spring into action, and he reached back so he could take Stoffel’s hand, drawing him closer until the tip of his cock was pressing against his hole.

“Do you still want this?”

“I wanted you when we weren’t soulmates, and now I definitely want you, I want it all.” Kevin looked back over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of Stoffel towering over him, hard and ready to go.

Cool lube dribbled down his crack, a stark contrast to the warmth of Stoffel’s cock, and he pushed back against him, preparing himself for the stretch, that moment where it all felt too much, like it couldn’t possibly fit.

Stoffel bottomed out in one slow thrust, his cock so hard that he could feel every twitch, even the throb of his pulse as he pushed his way inside.

Kevin took a breath as he adjusted, relaxing his grip on the pillow as he felt the pain subside, replaced by sheer need, and he clenched around Stoffel, spurring him into action.

Stoffel’s fingers traced around the edge of his hole, feeling where they were joined, where they were marked, and Kevin felt his cock leak, his body desperate for more. He let out a needy whimper, and Stoffel started to thrust, gentle at first, his fingers still teasing his rim.

Kevin saw stars with each thrust, leaving him floating on the brink of orgasm, his cock desperately trying to rub against something, to give him the friction that he desired, but Stoffel was holding his hips tight.

He reached down to stroke himself and Stoffel grabbed his hand, pinning it above his head as Kevin spread his legs wider, lowering himself so that he could rut against the duvet, his body trembling as his vision went white, warm come spurting out of him and leaving a sticky mess as Stoffel grunted, his cock throbbing inside him and rubbing against his oversensitive prostate, leaving him breathless and sated.

Tears welled up in his eyes, he’d never felt so satisfied, his limp body curled up in his soulmate’s arms after the most spectacular sex.

Stoffel went to move, but Kevin tensed up, not willing to separate just yet, and another wave of pleasure rippled through his body.

“Feel good?” Stoffel kissed at the side of his neck and Kevin let out a little sigh of contentment.

“So good that this is all I want for the rest of my life.”

“I think I can manage that.”

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
